The present invention relates to a data acquisition and processing system for a post-mix beverage dispenser. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system for collecting data from soft drink dispensing equipment such as utilized in fast food restaurants, and a processing system for correlating the data to specific times within a day or days.
Inventory control and analysis with respect to post-mix drink dispensers is an important part of the management of fast food restaurants. Some attempts have been made heretofore in post-mix systems to automatically sense and store information, such as drink size, flavor, and number of drinks. An example of such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,553 to Reichenberger.
The information obtained from the Reichenberger system is quite useful to a fast food restaurant manager for accounting purposes, and is also of interest to the beverage ingredient supplier. However, this information would be even more useful if it could be automatically correlated to a time of day, specific dates and specific periods of time within a given day or week. This time correlation would be useful in determining peak demand periods within normal business hours; and perhaps sales performances following special promotions or advertising by the ingredient supplier.
Another known system for acquiring and processing data with respect to post-mix beverage dispensers is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,333 to Pounder, et al. In the Pounder system, a microprocessor outputs serial data representing the contents of its various internal registers. The information available in the registers is, for example, the total number of drinks dispensed by size for each valve assembly, the mixture ratios of syrup to water, the total syrup and water volumes, the syrup viscosity, portion sizes, syrup identification number, and syrup temperature. While the information generated and stored in the registers of the microprocessor of the Pounder system is useful, it would be even more useful if it could be correlated with respect to specific times of day, specific dates and specific periods of time within a given day or week.
Accordingly, a need in the art exists for an improved data acquisition and processing system for post-mix beverage dispensers.